Mission & History

Who We Are:

CCLT is a member-supported 501(c)3 non-profit land conservation organization operating in the towns of Cumberland and Chebeague Island, Maine. Our Board of Directors consists of residents from both towns who provide guidance for the organization. Our conservation efforts are accomplished almost exclusively by a dedicated team of volunteers and members who support our efforts.

What We Do:

Our mission is to preserve and protect the intrinsic values and public benefits of the natural resources in the towns of Chebeague Island and Cumberland - mainland, island and contiguous Casco Bay - and to be responsible stewards in perpetuity for those resources in our trust.

Conservation values guiding our work include protecting natural areas (forests, habitat, water resources), scenic and open spaces, working landscapes (agricultural land, working forests and waterfront), recreational areas, and environmental education.

We translate our mission into several principal tasks: 1) thinking and acting strategically about properties that need protection, 2) responding when opportunities arise, 3) being diligent in our acquisition processes, 4) inventorying and monitoring properties for compliance with easements, 5) working cooperatively with landowners to help them realize their conservation goals and manage their properties, 6) educating the public about, and providing access to, natural resources, and 7) raising funds to sustain these efforts.

Our History:

Founded in 1987 as part of a nationwide movement to protect land for its natural resource value and for the enjoyment of the public, our organization was originally named the Cumberland Mainland & Islands Trust. At that time, Chebeague Island was part of the town of Cumberland. With the secession of Chebeague Island from Cumberland in 2007, the Trust decided to continue to serve both communities and adopted a new name – Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust – and new bylaws to reflect the change.

In 2012, CCLT became one of only a few all-volunteer land trusts in the country to become accredited through the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission, certifying that we met the highest professional standards for our conservation work. Five years later CCLT’s accreditation was successfully renewed. In the fall of 2018, CCLT hired its first-ever Executive Director and opened an office on Main Street in Cumberland in an effort to increase capacity and strengthen our impact in our two communities.

Since its founding, the organization has completed 22 conservation projects including five fee-owned properties and 17 conservation easements, protecting nearly 900 acres in the towns of Chebeague Island and Cumberland. Many of these properties provide wonderful recreational opportunities for the public to enjoy. Backed by strong membership and community support, the Trust continues to work to protect vital, local natural resources including undeveloped shoreline, nesting islands, wildlife corridors, ponds, wetlands, woodlands, riparian areas, farmland and trails.